<p>I'm a transfer student that is going to a 4-year university and moving into the dorms in about two weeks. I'm an only child, so I've never had to share anything like my room or my bathroom (except when I have company over, and it's only for like a day or two). How do I adjust to sharing it with 3-4 other strangers? </p>
<p>I may only have 1 roommate, but I still don't know who that is because her name is blank on the room assignment page. I may not have one, if so that part will be easy for me.</p>
<p>I've had friends over at my house before and we've never had to cross paths when they/I had to use the bathroom, but I'm assuming we MAY all have the same schedules. Also, I've never had to share a room except for when I go to my bestfriend's house, but she's hardly there because she either at sea or working overnight, so it's like I really have that room to myself also.</p>
<p>Having a roommate involves a lot of compromise. There will be times when you want the light off but your roommate has it on or you want to have a friend over and you don’t. The point is that when you have situations like this, don’t be afraid to ask politely for the other person to limit their time with a guest over or have the light go off in an hour so you can sleep. The list of examples goes on and on.</p>
<p>You just need to remember that everyone has their own interests and you have to communicate well so that your views are expressed properly and they aren’t misconstrued. </p>
<p>An important thing also is to not let yourself be run over by your roommates…you have the same amount of input as others and you should be comfortable in your own room as well. You can’t let others spoil your experience. Good luck!</p>
<p>In addition to what orion12 said, you also want to remember that your roommate has just as much right to the room as you do. You don’t want to have them take advantage of you, but you should also try to be considerate of how they live their lives, even if it’s different from your own. I’ve known people who were unreasonable in what they expected from their roommates and I’ve known people who were unwilling to speak up for themselves–and both situations are a bad place to be.</p>
<p>Being respectful is the most important thing, but you should also be willing to speak up if something is bothering you. They may not realize they’re doing something that is bothering you, and it’s also important to be willing to compromise. Keep in mind that your RAs are also on hand to help you settle disputes as an objective third person, so don’t be afraid to talk to them about any problems you might be having concern your housing or roommate situation.</p>
<p>I’ve had roommates for years, and I’ve never had a problem. You will likely have different schedules than your roommates, even if it seems unlikely now, since you’ll be taking different classes, will be out at activities or with friends, may be studying in the library, could have a part time job, etc.</p>
<p>It never hurts to set some ground rules in the beginning or to get an idea of each other’s schedules (Are they an early riser or a night owl? Do they like to shower at night or in the morning? etc). Your RAs may provide something to help with this, and it may make it easier down the road to make sure you are both on the same page, concerning things like guests, music, etc.</p>
<p>The most annoying thing about having a roommate, in my opinion, is if they are in the bathroom when you need to use it =D But you’ll adjust. Everyone does.</p>
<p>@orion12 & @baktrax thank you guys for all the info!</p>
<p>@baktrax Yes, I think that the most annoying thing for me would be sharing the bathroom. I’m now wondering how early I’m supposed to get up for school since I’m pretty sure some of the girls will rather take a shower in the morning instead of at night.</p>
<p>Yes, some of the girls may take showers in the morning (I am a morning shower person) but remember, one girl may have class at 8, and another at 10–so maybe not in each other’s way. And there are possible work arounds–hair can be dried and make up put on in the room instead of in the bathroom, etc. </p>
<p>If two or more of you are on the “same” schedule, sit down together and come up with a plan.</p>
<p>You will also want to come up with a plan for keeping the bathroom clean!</p>
<p>@boysx3 yea. I’ve decided that I’m going to take showers at night to avoid morning traffic in the bathroom. </p>
<p>Yes! Getting the bathrooms clean. When I’m at home I clean by bathroom once a week. Unfortunately I know that some people clean their bathrooms less than that. For some reason, I feel like I’d be cleaning the bathrooms majority of the time.</p>